Zach Bryan keeps the faith observes Offaly music columnist

Singer, songwriter, and producer  Zach Bryan releases a brand new 5-song EP titled  Boys of Faith  via Warner Records, featuring collaborations with Noah Kahan and Bon Iver.  Boys Of Faith  arrives only a matter of weeks after the Grammy-nominated artist's critically acclaimed self-titled, self-written and produced album, which entered the Billboard 200 chart at #1 and simultaneously topped Billboard’s Country, Rock & Alternative, Americana/Folk, and Rock album charts.

Once again written and produced by Bryan,  Boys Of Faith  kicks off with  Nine Ball  followed by  Sarah’s Place  featuring Noah Kahan.  "We always knew you were the better half of our good times,"  they harmonize on the rollicking track.  "Those backyard lights don't shine as bright without your face."

Also included on the EP is the previously unreleased fan favorite  Deep Satin, the only track co-produced along with Eddie Spear, with whom Bryan worked on  American Heartbreak. The title track, a duet with Bon Iver, is particularly notable due to the pair's creative chemistry.  “But you stuck around when I was down,”  they sing over sparse guitar, drums, and piano,  "and I’ll owe you all my days."  The EP concludes with the emotionally unfiltered  Pain, Sweet, Pain.

Boys Of Faith  arrives in the wake of  Zach Bryan, released on August 25th, which immediately impacted charts around the world, including #1 in the US and Canada, #2 in Ireland, #4 in New Zealand, and #5 in Australia. Additionally,  I Remember Everything,  featuring Kacey Musgraves, topped the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock Songs, and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts at once, making chart history by being the first song ever to do so.

As previously mentioned, Bryan and his band have concluded their sold-out 2023  Burn Burn Burn Tour,  yet a few dates remain while prepping for  The Quittin Time 2024 Tour.  The massive live trek kicks off in Chicago at the United Center on March 6th and 7th, before visiting major stadiums and arenas all over the U.S. and Canada. Support acts include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Turnpike Troubadours, Sheryl Crow, Sierra Ferrell, Matt Maeson, Levi Turner, as well as the newly reformed Australian favorites The Middle East.

The Quittin Time 2024 Tour  will be Bryan's most ambitious set of live shows to date.

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‘TIS THE SEASON FOR NOAH KAHAN

Over the past year, Vermont singer/songwriter  Noah Kahan has exploded from his New England roots into the global mainstream and has been touted as one of 2023’s biggest and best new artists.

At the core of his music are vulnerable lyrics and an unfiltered yet relatable honesty, as the critically acclaimed artist pens songs straight from the heart and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor. Across his three albums and an EP, Kahan has garnered global renown that includes more than three billion streams, double-platinum certification for his hit single  Stick Season, and collaborations with the likes of Post Malone, Joy Oladokun, and Grammy-nominated artists Julia Michaels and Wesley Schulz of The Lumineers.

His widely adored album,  Stick Season, is inspired by his New England roots and conveys a vivid representation of what he loves, fears, and struggles with most passionately. Noah has been on his sold-out  Stick Season Tour  across North America since the album’s release last year, selling half-a-million tickets to date and performing in the biggest venues of his career, with newly announced global dates on the horizon.

In June, he released an extended version of  Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever), which has gone on to surpass sales of the original and shows no signs of slowing down.  Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)  debuted at #3 on Billboard 200 Chart, #1 on Billboard Top Alternative Albums Chart, #1 on Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart, #1 on Top Americana/Folk Albums Chart, and more.

Impressively, Noah became the fifth artist in history with eighteen songs on Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Charts in one week, alongside David Bowie and Taylor Swift.  Stick Season  has also landed in the Top 20 on the UK Albums Chart and has today reached #7 in the Irish Album Charts.

Kahan also was named on the  2023 TIME100 Next  list—TIME’s list of the next 100 most influential people in the world.

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DUSTIN LYNCH

The sixth studio album from  Dustin Lynch,  Killed The Cowboy, was released on September 29th  via BMG/Broken Bow Records.

“When I’m off the road and working on my farm, I have a lot of inner dialogue”, explains Dustin.

“It’s a boxing match inside of me, between living in the moment and enjoying where I am, versus what's the best version of me five, 10, or 20 years down the road,” Lynch explains. “What do I want to be? What do I want life to look like? Who do I want to be around? Killed The Cowboy is that back-and-forth. It’s me asking myself, ‘Am I okay? Or am I weird for not having found my person yet? And is she even out there?’ My hope is that this album finds someone who needs to hear it. I want Killed The Cowboy to embrace the single people of the world and lift them up, to let them know that you don’t have to live a ‘normal’ life to still be happy in your own skin.”

Killed The Cowboy  is the much-anticipated follow-up to  Blue In The Sky, Lynch’s 2022 release delivered the history-making  Thinking ‘Bout You  (feat. MacKenzie Porter), which became the #1 song on the Mediabase 2022 Year-End Chart Country and #2 on the Billboard 2022 Year-End Country Airplay Songs chart. The platinum, six-week #1 collaboration remains the longest-running Top 10 single in Billboard Country Airplay chart history at twenty-eight weeks, and Broken Bow Records’ longest-reigning single at Country radio.

The acclaimed fifth studio album also featured hit  Party Mode  – launching an in-demand Party Mode Tour – and Lynch’s latest chart-rising single  Stars Like Confetti, that’s currently Top 10-and-rising at Country radio.

Lynch has, according to Billboard,  "built one of the most consistent recording careers in modern country music”, achieving eight #1s, four Top 5 albums, 10 gold and platinum certified singles, and tallying over 5.4 billion cumulative global streams. Since his platinum breakout  Cowboys and Angels  in 2012, Lynch has headlined packed venues and toured with Country’s biggest names like Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, and Kane Brown. Likewise, the Tennessee native has earned industry recognition as a Grand Ole Opry member, as well as high-profile nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and CMT Music Awards.